NEW DELHI: The Election Commission Friday issued a show-cause notice to Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi, asking her to back with facts her statement that the BJP approached her to join the party to save her political career
It has also asked her to submit a reply by Monday noon substantiating her allegations.
However, reacting to the notice, Atishi asked if the poll panel has become a “subsidiary organisation” of the BJP and alleged that the notice was leaked to the media by the BJP an hour earlier it was served to her through mail.
She also questioned the poll panel as to why it failed to issue notices to the concerned central agencies after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested and bank accounts of the Congress were frozen ahead of elections.
On Tuesday, Atishi claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would arrest her in a month if she refused to join to the BJP. She alleged that the BJP had invited her to join the party “through a message” conveyed to her by “someone close”.
In the notice, a copy which was accessed by the New Indian Express, the ECI stated, “…you are a minister in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and leader of a national party. The electors tend to believe whatever is being said from a public forum by their leaders and in that sense the statements made by them affect the campaign discourse… it is expected that there must be a factual foundation to the above quoted statements made by you and when the veracity of the statements made by you is contested then you must be able to back your statements by a factual basis and whereas the matter is being examined by the Commission in light of the provisions of Model Code of Conduct and relevant electoral laws.”
"Now, therefore, you are hereby called upon to furnish your para wise response to the matter," the notice added.
It is to be noted here that the poll panel took the action following a complaint registered to it by the BJP in which it alleged that she had made “misleading and unverified statements” against the party.
The notice also quoted her statement in Hindi: “…I was told that either I join the BJP and save my political career or should end it…”
The BJP moved the commission earlier against her claim that the party reached out to her through someone close and asked her to join it.
The notice issued by the Election Commission read," You are a minister in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and leader of a national party. The electors tend to believe whatever is being said from public forum by their leaders and in that sense, the statements made by them affect the campaign discourse."
